1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a tablet dispensing system, and more specifically to an improved tablet dropping unit for an automatic tablet dispensing system which guides the dropping of tablets released from respective tablet cassettes to a tablet packaging unit therebelow based upon information input in the automatic tablet dispensing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, automatic tablet dispensers are employed in hospitals and drugstores to automate the output and assembly of corresponding tablets when the prescription is input into a computer while also serving to dispense the per-dosage assembled tablets.
Such an automatic tablet dispensing system includes: a main computer for enabling an appropriate prescription on the basis of proper medicine, intake method, daily intake frequency and intake duration depending upon each patient; a tablet dropping unit having a plurality of tablet cassettes and a drum for storing therein and releasing therefrom the tablets in correspondence to the prescription set up in the computer; and a packaging unit disposed below the tablet dropping unit and serving to package the output tablets and releasing the same to an exterior of the automatic tablet dispenser.
The packaging unit is made up of: a release hopper for assembling the tablets being dropped from the tablet drop unit; a heater assembly for packaging the tablets being discharged through the release hopper; a printer for printing respective information on packaging paper; and a release conveyer for externally discharging the medicine bags containing tablets. Essentially, the tablet dropping unit serves to guide the tablets released from respective tablet cassettes to the packaging unit therebelow on the basis of information input in the main computer.
Such a tablet dropping unit is provided above the packaging unit in a cylindrical drum type and rotated by a motor disposed at an upper portion thereof, and also a guide roller disposed at a lower portion thereof enables its stable rotation.
A plurality of tablet cassettes storing therein a certain amount of tablets are attached onto and along the outer periphery of the drum. The tablets in the tablets cassettes are transferred through release holes of the drum into the packaging unit. The single drum type tablet dropping unit has developed into a double drum type having an inner drum and an outer drum to increase tablet cassette mounting capacity.
However, the double drum type of tablet dropping unit according to the conventional art have disadvantages in that:
(1) a wire arrangement to control the respective tablets cassettes can become complicated with inevitable tangling; PA1 (2) severe noise and consequent error may occur during operation due to the complicated wiring, thereby hindering an accurate release of tablets; and PA1 (3) maintenance cost may increase with breakdown and cassette replacement resulting from the complicated wiring.
Furthermore, the linearly provided release holes may delay the tablet dropping and cause the tablets to flow into other tablet cassettes, thereby deteriorating smooth packaging operation in the packaging unit. That is, the tablet dropping is delayed such that the tablets being dropped from the tablet cassettes mounted on an upper portion of the drum may take a longer time period to reach the lower portion thereof since the dropping tablets may hit against the inner periphery of the drum instead of dropping through the central shaft of the drum.